Cut flower holder



C. 'D. SUTER CUT FLOWER HOLDER Filed Feb. '24, 1934 March 5,

Patented Mar. 5, 1935 PATENT? ,OFFICE n cU'r ,FLOWER HOLDER'olaudenjsuter, Brunswick, da.Y M u l YApplication, February 24, v19734,Serial No. {712,83075 1s claims.

@This invention relates to improvements devic'es for retainingcut'flowers in shipping boxes. The primary object of 'the presentinvention is to provide a device' adapted to be'secured in a V flowerbox between two walls of thesame to ex- `tend across the `stems of andhold'securely in position flowers placed in the box forv shipment."Another object of the invention is to provide f a device for securingout owers in a box, whichl is Vadapted to be placed in position .withoutnecessitating` the forcing or bending outwardly of either of the boxwalls. u A still further object of the invention is to provide aA deviceof the above described characterV wherein a wall puncturing orpenetrating element is carried upon an end of a brace' bar which isdesigned to be disposedtransversely 'of the box, so that when the bar islocated in position, the penetrating devicemay be vprojectedY outwardlyand forced through the box'wallf and then bent overto form a lockingconnection between the wall andlbanthus effecting. both the retention ofthe flower stems in position and the connection of the box walls invsuch a manner as to prevent their bulging.` f u z 'L Theinvention'willbe best' understood from a consideration of the followingdetailed description taken connection .with the accompanying drawingforming partof this specication, with the understanding, however, thatythe invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showingfof .the'drawing'but maybe changed or modified so long as such changesormodifications mark nomaterial departurefrom the salient features ofthe invention as expressed in the appendedclaims. .r. H

In ther drawing:`--

I Figure 1 is a view inperspective of a box ,show-Y ing one form lofthereto.l Y .Y

Figure 2 is a View in transverse .section of the box and showingV aportion. of the applied ydevice insection. y

Figure 3 is a. viewin perspective of a double prong.` f Figure 4 is aview in perspective of a. modified type of prong;V f Referring tothevdrawing kwherein Vlike numerals 'of reference designate correspondingparts throughout the several views, the numeral .1 indicates generallyazlboxof the character employed byxorists for shipping cut flowers,v inwhich is shown in operative Yposition a device of thecharacterembodyingy the present invention. y

The device referred to is indicated generally the present inventionapplied by the numeral 2 and comprises av bar 3 preferably vof wood,which is designed to Vbe disposed transversely of the box between theside wallsV of the same. v

-In devices of this character at present in use, 5 the ower steinholding bar such as is indicated by the numeral 3, is provided at'eachend-.with some fixedA formof penetrating element and when the deviceisplaced in position, one end is first forced through the side wallandlthen the opposite side wall Vmust be'bent outwardly so as to bring theother endof the bar down to thev proper elevation, afterVV which thesaid opposite wall is forced back so as yto cause the other end of thbar to penetrate through the same.

The .present invention eliminates the necessity of bulging the boxwallsoutwardly by providing a'ineanswherebyV the bar can be located inposition and kthe penetrating elementsA thenlshifted on the'barthroughthe adjacent wall. In carrying out thepresent invention, the .bar 3 hassecured about-eachv end a metal collar Lifrom which are strucktwo'upstanding bands `5 which extend transversely ofthe bar onone sidethereof. The collar v4 is'preferably split longitudinally and thelongitudinal "edges are turned inwardly and toothed to fform penetratingpoints' 6-which are pressed into one face ofthe bar on which the collarismounted; Obviously, this is onlyone means of securingthe collar inplace for,V it will bere'adilyl apparent, the collar may be lformedintegrally instead of split and slipped over the endofthebar; f, 1` Y j*'l -Associated with keachcollar 4 is an elongated flat prong '7 which iscut to a point 8 at one end and has a portion of vits other end upturnedto form a iingerholdk 9. The pointedend offth's prong is'adapted toslide beneath the bands 5A and the bodyof the prong has a resilienttongue 10 pressed' therefrom which, after passingbeneath one'of thebands-,prevents the prong being retracted. V l "f v i From theforegoing, it willbe obvious that after the bar 3 has been placed inposition, the prongs may beprojected'longitudinally' of the bar'to 45pass through the adjacent walls of the box after which the pointed endsof the prongs may bebent vupwardly orf downwardly so as to prevent thebox wall moving outwardly on the prong and also` toA turn the point ofthe same in such a'manner as 50 to prevent harmto the persons handlingthe box.

In .Figure 4, a prong is shown which is cut from a single thickness ofmetal. However, the wall penetrating prong may be formed of doublethickness material as illustrated in :Figure 3l and 5.5

indicated generally by the numeral 11. In this form, the prong is formedby turning a strip of material on itself to form the two ends 12 and 13.One of these ends may be pointed, as indicated at 14, While the othermay be finished oif with a round tip, as indicated at 15, so that afterthe end 14 of the portion 13 has been forced through the box wall, thetwo ends may be readily separated and bent to extend in oppositedirections in the manner illustrated in Figures l and 2. In this doublethickness form of prong, the body portion has a resilient tongue strucktherefrom, as indicated at 16, the same as described in connection withthe prong 7 so that the prong will be retained in position by the bandsl5 'in thev manner previously described. l

In order to reinforce the box wall and prevent the prong being torn fromposition after it has been bent over the outer face of the wall, theremay be provided a plate 17 having a slot 18 for the extension of :thepoint or points of the prongs therethrough. By then turning the pointsin the manner illustrated, they will vbe out of the way so that personshandling the box will not be injured thereby and at the same .time theywill be prevented froxn tearing through the box wall by the underlyingplate.

Another method of placing the bar in position is as follows. One of theprongs, either the single or the double thickness type, .is rst slippedbeneath .the bands 5 of one collar, the bars then introduced into thebox and the point of the applied prong forced 'through the box wall atan elevation slightly below the top of the stalks `o1' the flowers whichare in the box. The opposite end of the bar is then forced downwardlyinto the box so as to compress Lthe flower .stalks and when the bar hasbeen .brought into substantially horizontal position, :a prong is thenintroduced beheath the bands ofthe collar at the opposite end of the'bar and forced longitudinally of the bar and through the adjacent wall.The extended ends of the prongs may then .be bent out -olf the way inthe mannerV previously described.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that with the presentinvention, the flower stalks retaining bar may be placed in positionwithout bulging or otherwise deforming the box, as previously described,and in addition, Athe bars with the collars upon the ends thereof may beused over and over again, as it will be apparent that when the box isemptied and the prongs have been removed, the bars with the collarsthereon will be undamaged andinayv be used with a new set of prongs.

It will be noted that the tongues 10 and 16 of the prings have beentwisted slightly after being raised from the body `of the prong so thatthe free end edges of these tongues will be at an angie to the edge ofthe nearest band 5 and thus effectively prevent any considerable amountof reverse movement of the prong.

What is claimed isz- 1. The combination with a box of the characterdescribed, of an elongated body adapted to position between two oppositewalls of the box to retain the contents of the box in position, a pairof prongs slidably attached to the elongated member, each at one end ofthe member 'and designed to 'penetrate an adjacent wail of the box, andmeans operating coincidently with the movement of the prongs to apredetermined position for preventing the retraction of the prongs afterthe same have been shifted to such position to penetrate the box wall.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a bar, an elongatedpointed element disposed at each end of the bar, means at each end ofthe bar providing a guide for the adjacent pointed member whereby thelatter may be slidably held for movement in a direction longitudinallyof the bar, and means carried by each pointed member adapted to pass theguiding means when the pointed member is shifted in one direction andVpreventing the reverse'movement of the pointed member. Y

3. A device of the character described, comprising a bar, an elongatedelement disposed upon each end of the bar and constituting two portionsVone overlying the other, one of said portions terminating in a sharppoint, connecting means between the lportions of each elongated element,the pointed ends of said elements being directed outwardly with respectto the adjacent end vof the bar, and means carried by the bar at eachend forming a guide for the :adjacent elongated linember whereby thelatter isheld Yon the bar for sliding movement longitudinally thereof,the portions of each of said elongated members being of bendablematerial. r

4. The combination with `a box, of a bar member of a length to bedisposedimrizontally in 'the box between two opposed walls, meansforming a pair of guide loops transversely ofV each -end of the bar, anelongated element Aforeach end of the bar adapted to be slipped beneaththe pair of guide loops thereon, each-of said elongated memberscomprising two separable 'portions oneof which has its advancing endpointed, means at the trailing end of each elongated member forfacilitating grasping the same for forcing the pointed end of said oneportion through the adjacent box wall, and a slotted platexadapted to bedisposed against the :outer side of the wall through which the elongatedmember is extended, to receive the said member, the portions .of .themember being bent apart over `5. The combination with a box, of `a vbarmember of a length to be disposed horizontally in the box between twoopposed walls, means forming a pair of 'guide loops transversely of eachend of the ber, an elongated 'element for each end of the bar adapted tobe slipped beneath the pair of guide loops thereon, each :of saidelongated members comprising two separable portions one Yof which hasits advancing lend pointed, means at the trailing end of eachelongatedmember for facilitating grasping the .same vfor :forcing thepointed end of saidy one portion through the adjacent box wall, aslotted plate'adapted to be disposed against the outer side of the wallthrough which the elongated member -is extendedto receive the saidmember, the portions of the member being bent apart over said plate,land a resilient `tongue carried by eanhelongated member to pass beneathone of said guide .loops and prevent the retraction of the member;

6. A device .of the character described, comprising a bar, an elongatedelement disposed uponfeach end of the bar and constitutingtwo portionsone overlying the other,` of said portions terminating in a sharppoint,connecting means between the portions of each elongated element, thepointed ends of said elements being directed outwardly with respect tothe adjacent end of the bar, means carried by the bar atv each endforming a guide `for the adjacent elongated `member whereby the latteris held on the bar for movement longitudinally thereof, the portions ofVeach of said elongated members being of bendable material, and meanscarried by each element adapted to pass beneath the element guide andprevent the reverse movement of the element.

7. Av device of the character described, comv prising abar, a bodysecured to one face of the lbar at each end, 'a bendable prong slidablyconnected with each body and movable thereon longitudinally of the bar,and coacting means between each body and prong for automatically lockingthe prongs against reverse movement after movement on the bar apredetermined dising means.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a bar designed forplacement in a receptacle between two walls thereof,`means forsecuringone end of the bar to one wall, an elongated prongmember disposedlongitudinally of' the bar at the other end, means fixed to pthe otherend of the bar over'which the prong member moves, guide connecting meansbetween the member and the iixed means, and means for coupling the prongmember and said xed' means together to prevent movement of the prongmember in one direction relative to the fixed means.

10. A device for attachment to a bar of the character described,comprising an open yokelike body designed to encircle a bar and havingtwo free edges provided with teeth for the penetration of the bar tosecure the body thereto, a pair of loops carried bythe body in spacedrelation to extend transversely of a bar to which the body may beattached, and an elongated prong member slidable on the body throughsaid loops.

character described, .comprising an open yokelike body designed toencircle a bar and having two free edges provided with teeth for thepenetration of the bar to secure the body thereto, an elongatedprongelement slidably connected with the body for movement longitudinally ofa bar to which the body may be attached, and means carried by the prongand coacting with a portion of the body for limiting its vslidingmovement on the body.

12. A devicel designed for application to a bar of the characterdescribed, comprising a yokelike body designed to encircle the bar,means for securing said body to the bar, a pair of loops struck from thebody and disposed in spaced parallel relation in a plane above aparallel portion of the body, an elongated prong member slidablydisposed beneath said loops and upon the Vportion of the body which isparallel with the loops, and means limiting the movement of the prong onthe body and engaging one of said loops.

13. A device designed for application to a bar of the characterdescribed, comprising a yokelike body designed to encircle the bar,means for securing said body to the bar, a pair of loops struck from thebody and disposed in spaced parment of the prong. Y

CLAUDE D. SUTER.

11. A device for attachment to a bar of the

